Guild Wars 2

Given that the sword is the highest damage weapon that rangers have access to, and that their off-hands are all full offense, while the greatsword has very low damage with multiple defensive or crowd control abilities, one aspect of each of them feels like it was switched around. The greatsword is the weapon that charges into combat, while the sword is the one that disengages.

If the purpose of the defensive weapon is to be swapped to on ranged builds when an enemy gets close, it seems like it would make sense that the ability to disengage from an enemy would be put on the weapon made to buy time and disable the opponent. But, instead, the greatsword charges at the opponent, while Greatsword damage is quite a bit worse than they’d get from just using the bow up until the last second.

Meanwhile, the sword, the weapon that has enough of a reward to justify using it over a ranged weapon, with which you’d actively be desiring to get into melee combat with instead was given the movement skill designed for disengaging from the enemy. It feels feels as though swoop and Hornet Sting were swapped at some point given how at odds the two are at the purpose of their attached weapon, but how fitting they are toward the purpose of the other.

Not every weapon is good in every game mode. I find people quickly dismiss weapons that are superior in game modes they give little attention to. I believe this is the case with Ranger GS. It’s trash-killing awesomeness. Fly in with 3, smash with a 2, finish off with a 1, all recharging quickly for the next trash mob. Admittedly, I haven’t tried sword again since the last patch, but it had some undesirable effects for openworld play previously.

Maybe that’s not too impressive because people don’t give OW play much thought, dismissing it as trivial, but regardless, GS may have been designed with this purpose in mind. That’s not an unreasonable theory, because other weapons on other professions were similarly labeled as garbage, but excelled in that theatre as well. For instance, Guardian Mace.

I think your premise is wrong. The weapons are what you make of them. You don’t need to use GS only as a melee swap for LB, for example, and it’s not an entirely defensive weapon. And sword is very versatile.

If you just view them as tools rather than “sword is for offense GS is for defense” (which is probably the opposite of how most people view those weapons in WvW/PvP anyway), having a variety of skills on them is a great thing and makes sense.

The only reason the GS is considered a “defensive” weapon is because it sacrifices damage on it’s auto for evade on the third swing.

They could potentially swap the autos but not only would that make 1h sword an incredibly broken evade spam machine, it would also pigeonhole everyone into using GS on any power build and lock out all the offhands as 1h sword would tickle enemies with it’s lack of auto damage and spike/burst damage.

There’s no real solution other than to take the evades off the GS and buff it’s total dps with to the level of S/A or above it and make the 1h sword’s strength it’s evade spam and versatility.

I doubt many would sacrifice the evades for more dps on GS though to be honest and 1hs is probably near the upper limit of what Anet deems acceptable for the player half of the Ranger’s dps.

GS #3 = disengage. Especially now that movement conditions don’t have an effect.

Sword #2 is rather lackluster for disengage unless you can master the #2, 180 degree turn, #2, which is a bit more effort (provided non-macro) then #3 on GS. I agree about sword engage, there is no way to do that without having a dagger OH. Since Anet loves to ignore things and off hand training STILL isn’t applied to dagger, there really isn’t much of an engage with #4 anyway.

I’d like to see #3 on sword be a lunge toward the opponent, then the viper strike. Provided you are at distance. If you are already in melee, then leave the functionality as-is.

Eponet.4829:

Given that the sword is the highest damage weapon that rangers have access to, and that their off-hands are all full offense, while the greatsword has very low damage with multiple defensive or crowd control abilities, one aspect of each of them feels like it was switched around. The greatsword is the weapon that charges into combat, while the sword is the one that disengages.

If the purpose of the defensive weapon is to be swapped to on ranged builds when an enemy gets close, it seems like it would make sense that the ability to disengage from an enemy would be put on the weapon made to buy time and disable the opponent. But, instead, the greatsword charges at the opponent, while Greatsword damage is quite a bit worse than they’d get from just using the bow up until the last second.

Meanwhile, the sword, the weapon that has enough of a reward to justify using it over a ranged weapon, with which you’d actively be desiring to get into melee combat with instead was given the movement skill designed for disengaging from the enemy. It feels feels as though swoop and Hornet Sting were swapped at some point given how at odds the two are at the purpose of their attached weapon, but how fitting they are toward the purpose of the other.

go back to warrior

Both wapons have both defensive and offensive capabilities. GS is better burst(spike) damage, 1h sword better continues damage. Worth mentioning that in order to max dmage of the 2 weapons, GS will much more benfit from pike skills and traits like MOC and remorsless. 1H sword will benefit more from static damage modiers, or even simple might stacking.

The GS is great for disengaging! Untarget, 3 to get away, dodge, 4 to block the projectiles/pulls, dodge, and 3 should be close to available again for more distance.

Both weapons are not good designed for PVE.

S

1. has the superior auto while
2. and #3 are mostly useless in pve

GS

1. has an evade which you rarely need due to your pet.
2. aint that great from a damage pov.
3. misses to often when used as a first strike.
4. and its block is not needed due to the pet.

In general the weaon design is the worst ever.
SB + LB should have pircing as base because we are rangers.

Also there are not enough damage focused traits. And those that are there aint that good.

sword is solely defensive, although 1 has the best auto attack dps (which is still utter trash compared to other classes) the other 2 skills are defensive. Offhand axe is offensive, dagger is defensive and warhorn is supposedly utility except that the utility is lackluster.
Gs is pretty much 1 skill for mobility, 1 skill that never hits, 1 block that sucks vs more than 1 opponent, a horrible auto attack and a damage skill that deals no damage. It is good in 0 game modes.

Is the sword still highest DPS? I mean, after the animation dps nerf…

TheFantasticGuy.7206:

Is the sword still highest DPS? I mean, after the animation dps nerf…

I doubt it’s enough to make that much of a difference and they buffed the damage on WD so you pretty much have to use sword to use the /axe skills.